Wetherby or Ascot in Golden Ace’s sights

Jeremy Scott’s exciting mare Golden Ace is pencilled in to return at either Wetherby or Ascot after a flawless novice hurdling season.

Second to Dysart Enos in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree in the 2022-23 campaign, Golden Ace then graduated to the hurdling ranks earlier in 2024 and was an instant success when striking on her seasonal debut at Taunton before following up at the same track a month later.

Her next run was a steep step up in level to contest the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where she shone brightest of all to prevail by a length and three-quarters from Gordon Elliott’s highly-regarded Brighterdaysahead.

Her final run of the campaign only further proved her promise as she ran away with a Listed mares’ novice over an extended trip back at Cheltenham, winning by eight and a half lengths despite conceding weight all around.

Scott was aiming at Kempton next Sunday for Golden Ace’s seasonal bow this time around, but a minor injury has made a trip to Wetherby or Ascot more likely.

“We’ve had a tiny little setback, we were aiming for Kempton but she won’t be ready for that,” he said.

“There’s a mares’ race up at Wetherby or we may even wait until Ascot, there’s a two-mile-three (furlong) race at Ascot.

“She’s just had a bit of a pulled muscle and that will set us back a fortnight, that’s where we are with her.”

From there Golden Ace will work her way back to the Cheltenham Festival where the Mares’ Hurdle may await, but Scott is mindful the horse will likely have to take on geldings at some point now out of the novice division.

“That’s what we’re thinking, if she retains her ability and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t,” he said of her spring aim.

“We tend to think there’s a marvellous mares’ programme and there is when you’re a novice, but once you’re out in open company there are actually very few races for mares – I think Wetherby was one of the only ones before Christmas suitable for her.

“We’ll have to see how she fares against the boys then see where we are.”

Scott is also the trainer of the much-loved veteran Dashel Drasher, who returns this season aged 11 for a chasing campaign having been kept to hurdles last term.

The gelding was entered at Chepstow on Saturday but did not run due to the ground, with an alternative target to be found in the coming weeks as he embarks on his final season in training.

“He’s all good, we didn’t run at Chepstow because the ground was going to be a bit quick,” Scott said.

“We’ll find something for him in a month’s time or so, it’s probably going to be a bit weather-dependent but the plan is to go over fences.

“He’s doing as well as he ever has, we’ll take each race as it comes and if we felt he wasn’t performing or enjoying himself, then we’ll make the right decision.

“He’s certainly still got his zest for life anyway, but we won’t abuse it and the owners are absolutely on board with that. We’ll know when the time is right.”